The invention relates to a container for receiving a certain quantity of a filling product, preferably for receiving pasty tooth filler masses, as well as to a method for manufacturing such a container with a filling product.
Pasty tooth filler masses are today filled up in the most varied of quantities and packagings. Thus filling quantities which are sufficient for several applications, in particular with chemically-hardening tooth filler masses, are filled up in larger tins or containers. The filler material is removed with a tool, e.g. a spatula and portioned according to application. However there are also known syringes or tubes with filled quantities for several applications which have at their disposal devices for the portioning according to application. The application of packages with filling quantities for multiple applications at the user requires a good basic turnover of the pasty tooth filler masses and creates certain demands on storage and hygiene.
Packaging forms for small volumes e.g. single portions are already known from the prior art. On account of the small volumes the handling of these filling quantities has however up to now entailed the application of technical auxiliary means. Thus e.g. small tips or cartridges are placed on a means which has at its disposal hand grips and a pressure pin, with which via an outlet the emptying procedure of the filling product from the tip or cartridge may be initiated. The application of such technical auxiliary means entails corresponding costs. The handling is awkward.
It is the object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the prior art, in particular to make available a simple cheap container which permits on the one hand the filling of relatively small quantities of filling product, in particular pasty tooth filler masses and on the other hand in spite of the small volumes of filling product and container, ensures an optimal handling.
In particular a simple, one-handed manipulation is to be made possible which permits the simultaneous fixing and opening of the container so that the other hand remains free for a rapid withdrawal and application of the filling product.
According to the invention this object is achieved with a container and with a method for manufacturing such a container with a filling product, according to the characterising features of the independent patent claims.
A container has a roughly cylindrical base body which comprises at least one closable hollow space for receiving a certain quantity of filling product, in particular pasty tooth filler masses, and an extension piece.
The closable hollow space permits the filling of a filling product like pasty tooth filler masses in portions which are envisaged for one or repeated applications. By way of the preferably light-tight and moisture-tight reclosable closure the hygiene and where appropriate the sterility are ensured.
In particular there are filled the light-hardening or chemically-hardening pasty tooth filler masses common today in the dental field. So that in spite of the relative small volume of the hollow space there is ensured an optimal handling, the container comprises an extension piece which does not serve for receiving filling material.
The roughly cylindrical base body of the container may be formed of a tube with through-going side walls running perpendicularly to the openings. Conceivable are however also base bodies with e.g. a polygonal cross section.
If the base body comprises two oppositely lying closable hollow spaces, two predetermined quantities of filling product may be filled and the volume of the extension piece lying therebetween may be reduced, with the dimensioning and handling ability of the container remaining the same. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention with two hollow spaces the extension piece has practically the same length as a hollow space.
If the outer wall of the extension piece is roughly in alignment with the outer wall of the container there may be achieved a homogeneous, well manipulatable and manufacturable base body.
For the manufacture of the container there is particularly suitable a base body which consists of two parts which are releasably or unreleasably connected to one another with a non-positive and/or positive fit. The individual parts may thus in particular be manufactured with the injection moulding method of plastics, e.g. opaque polypropylene.
In a particularly simple manner a container may be put together when the two parts each comprise a connection section, wherein the connection sections advantageously are connected to one another such that the outer wall of the connection section of the one part with a non-positive fit bears on the inner wall of the connection section of the other part.
The two parts each comprise a closable hollow space for receiving a predetermined quantity of filling product, which hollow space being separated from the respective connection section by a bottom. With this a functional compartmentisation of the base body is achieved. The bottom may be manufactured with the injection moulding method as one piece with the base body, for example of an opaque polypropylene. In particular with embodiment forms with which the bottom is only applied with a non-positive fit into the base body afterwards, there may however be applied a softer material such as e.g. polyethylene.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the bottom of the hollow spaces in each case comprises a curved transition section blending into the side walls. By way of this the complete removal of the filling product with an instrument, in particular with a spatula, is simplified. Particularly advantageous has shown to be the curved transition section in combination with a cylindrical base body.
The useable volume of the closable hollow spaces is preferably not more than max. 0.8 cm3, preferably about in each case 0.2 cm3 to 0.6 cm3. By way of this a portioning optimal for dental application is achieved.
So that the handling of the container, in particular the holding in the hand, e.g. between the thumb and the index finger is ensured, the cylindrical base body should have a minimal length of 20 mm. Of course in practice infinitely long base bodies are not suitable. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the cylindrical base body comprises a length of 27 mm and a diameter of 11 mm.
By way of a snap lid which may be placed on the base body and which is preferably closable in a light-tight and moisture-tight manner, the hygiene and where appropriate sterility of the filling product is ensured. With a snap lid a particularly simple handling, in particular simple opening is achieved.
In particular when the snap lid comprises a projection it is achieved that the container is held with one hand and may be opened with the thumb so that the filling product may be rapidly removed and applied with an instrument, for example with a spatula.
Conceivable is also that the snap lid with its whole circumference overlaps the outer wall of the cylindrical base body.
The snap lid may be manufactured of the same material as the base body, for example an opaque plastic such as polypropylene. Conceivable is also a softer plastic such as polyethylene.
A further subject-matter of the invention is an integrated system consisting of two or more containers according to the invention, wherein the individual containers are separably joined together (e.g. arranged next to one another in a row or connected to one another). Such an integrated system is particularly suitable for the storage and the transport of the relatively small container. The connection between individual containers by way of one-piece injection or later adhesing may be designed such that the containers which are used individually may be particularly easily separated from one another, e.g. by twisting.
A further subject-matter of the invention is a method for manufacturing and filling a container according to the invention which comprises a preferably cylindrical base body with two hollow spaces for receiving a predeterminable quantity of filling product. Characteristic for the method is that two parts with in each case a hollow space are prepared and subsequently connected to one another, so that there arises a container with two oppositely lying hollow spaces. The hollow spaces before or after the connecting are filled with a predermined quantity of filling product, in particular with pasty tooth filler masses.
Preferably the method is carried out such that the two prepared parts are firstly filled and closed and only subsequently connected to one another. By way of this a rotation during the filling procedure which would be necessary with an already put together container may be avoided.